Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

761–770 of 1001 posts

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#761

Post by badestrand »

BoboDupla wrote: post #717
binthere wrote: post #654

Simple question to whoever is honestly defending Apple: What if Windows prevented people from installing anything on their computer except from the Microsoft Store. Then Microsoft forced every app to use their payment system and then charged an excessive 30% fee for each transaction. Would you think that's an abusive and illegal practice?

I might be mistaken, but wasn't this the policy Apple had since the beginning of AppStore? Every developer and user knew from the beginning what they are getting into. With Windows it is different, no? It would be a drastic change to a product, which operated differently at the beginning.

Yes, the fee has been there since the beginning, if you use their payment system.

I think the new and problematic policy is that they now

- forbid you to use other payment systems than their own

- forbid you to just add the 30% to your price on iOS compared to other platforms

- forbid you to mention to the user that they can pay on the company's website or through other channels

Also their own product's don't have to pay the fee. So Apple Music can charge 30% less than Spotify or Spotify can distribute significantly less of the revenue to the artists.

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#764

Post by mytherin »

pferde wrote: post #738
anilakar wrote: post #718

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uninformed consumers will normalize the abusive behavior and pricing by buying the product. Mocking and complaining about unacceptable business practices is everyone's right and responsibility.

By all means, yes, mock away and raise awareness. That's good, it helps. But I know too many people who are very vocal about how Apple is bad and how they should be stopped, and yet these people keep buying a new iThing every year.

Mister Gotcha [1] is ever relevant.

[1] https://thenib.com/mister-gotcha/

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#765

Post by takeda »

pferde wrote: post #706
hijklmno wrote: post #696

It's not Apple vs. Fortnite. It's actually Apple vs. Users. Apple has been taking us for a ride this whole time. We pay damn much and buy the phone. It is the user's property from then on. What the user install's and uninstall's from his phone should be his decision. Taking a cut of say, 3%, to keep the app store running is forgivable. But 30% digging into users pocket is unpardonable. Apple is no longer the underdog…

What monopoly? Nobody is forcing you to buy Apple and enter into their rotten walled garden. If you "pay damn much and buy the phone", you are doing it of your own volition. "Take the power back" by not continuing to give them your money.

Back in the late 90s no one forced you to use Windows and Microsoft Office. You could just live without a PC.

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#766

Post by Fargren »

etchalon wrote: post #555
Sargos wrote: post #486

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are perfectly free to use Apple App Store and stay free from viruses and have a nice curated environment. Nothing changes for them if you allow sideloading. The ONLY change is that you have the OPTION to run software Apple doesn't officially sanction. That's just a basic freedom right there and it's hard to see any rational argument against it.

The rational argument is that the ability to side-load applications would be exploited by the nefarious and the clever to take advantage to naive users. If a website can convince someone to download a "new version of the Flash Player", those same websites will convince someone to "side-load this application to protect against identity theft!"

Android allows sideloading and this doesn't happen (too much) in Android. It's possible to support walled garden by default while giving the user advanced options to sideload, which are difficult but not too difficult to find.

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#767

Post by ace_of_spades »

cblconfederate wrote: post #398
ace_of_spades wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let‘s take the example of an autonomous car. Would you also argue that you have the right to run any software on it? Looking a bit further down the line toward a society with more prevalent and powerful AI there will need to be some kind of certification that the software you are running is safe. It will be almost impossible to enforce this without the help of device manufacturers who will be mandated to only run saf…

> Would you also argue that you have the right to run any software on it? Duh, yes. It's like asking if i can drive my (human-driven) car anywhere. Just because it's "technology" doesnt mean all human agency goes out the window.

It seems like you are not thinking things through then. You would at least need to get some kind of certification that your car remains „street legal“. You cannot seriously expect to run any autonomous driving software that you want in your car?

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#768

Post by tommymachine »

hijklmno wrote: post #696

It's not Apple vs. Fortnite. It's actually Apple vs. Users. Apple has been taking us for a ride this whole time. We pay damn much and buy the phone. It is the user's property from then on. What the user install's and uninstall's from his phone should be his decision. Taking a cut of say, 3%, to keep the app store running is forgivable. But 30% digging into users pocket is unpardonable. Apple is no longer the underdog…

I like the 30% cut for the App Store. It provides them incentive to promote & sell apps, and make sure the App Store is a smooth experience for users, & a profitable one for developers. It’s certainly healthy, if on the high side. But I’d sure rather have a healthy app ecosystem than an unhealthy one. The problem with them experimenting with lowering the rate is once its lowered, imagine the fuss which would ensue if they then raised it.

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#769

Post by eirini1 »

YarickR2 wrote: post #727
hijklmno wrote: post #711

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take the money back and go where? Live in a hut? It's such enabling behaviors that embolden these elitists to lord over our lives. You can't let anyone be a gatekeeper to technology and progress. This applies to every major tech player. And this is the time that we need to make our voices heard.

Found a company. Bring it to success. Build an ecosystem around it . Your voice will be heard, then.

lol

Re: Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

#770

Post by imtringued »

dj_mc_merlin wrote: post #623
throwaway6000 wrote: post #549

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. Apple establishes rules that EVERY app publisher follows for YEARS. 2. Fortnite doesn't follow rule. 3. Apple kicks Fortnite out of the App store. What were they expecting?

1. Pharaoh says everybody who speaks against the royal family has their tongue cut out. 2. Seth says there should be less taxes as the pharaoh is too rich. 3. He gets his tongue cut out. What did he expect? Unfair rules should not always be followed.

You can choose a different royal family. If you don't like your current royal family then don't let your tongue be cut out voluntarily and then complain about it while still wanting to support the royal family that cut your tongue out.
Post reply on HN